Inspired by Apple's new Jet Black color for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, designer Martin Hajek recently created a few mockups of what the company's all-new wireless AirPods could look like if the accessories had a similar dark color option.
In his blog post, Hajek said he "modeled these earphones and rendered them in brand-new iPhone gloss black," making them visually identical to the new, shiny finish of the iPhone 7 in Jet Black.
Hajek even visualized the AirPods charging case in Jet Black. When inside of the case, the AirPods can get up to 24 hours of battery life, according to Apple. On their own, the Bluetooth headphones have up to 5 hours of music playback on a full charge.
Although most hardware announced at Apple’s September 7 event is debuting later this week, on September 16, the AirPods still have an unspecified launch in "late October." If you want to check out more of Hajek’s renderings of the Jet Black AirPods, visit the designer's website.
India is seeking discussions with Apple about including state-funded biometric ID technology to authenticate its citizens, according to Bloomberg.
The government initiative is part of a national biometric identity program called Aadhaar (Hindi for 'foundation'), which already covers fingerprint and iris-scanning authentication across a range of public and private services including banking.
Apple is expected to resist opening up its hardware and software to the registration, encryption, and security technology, but doing so could see the company excluded from India's thriving smartphone market.
One consulting group in India is predicting "a battle of ecosystems" between the state and tech companies. Indeed, signs of division already appear to have emerged. Just a few weeks ago, government officials are said to have invited executives from Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, and Google to a meeting to discuss embedding the technology into their devices, but Apple didn't even show up.
According to Ajay Bhushan Pandey, who runs the Unique Identification Authority of India and convened the meeting, company representatives who did attend listened politely but were noncommittal. However, Pandey says he was unequivocal about the government's position and told the executives to return to headquarters and "work this out so we can have Aadhaar-registered devices".
Since September 2010, India has collected citizens' biometric and demographic data and issued ID numbers to every man, woman, and child. More than one billion people have signed up to Aadhaar - over four fifths of the population.
The initiative is designed to catch criminals who defraud the welfare state, but civil liberties groups say the program violates public privacy. Despite opposition, the government is moving ahead with Aadhaar and recently rolled out a digital payments system built on the program, which is part of an effort to make financial services available to millions of people who don't hold a bank account.
Apple is expected to fight the government's demands following its recent public dispute with the FBI, which wanted to install a backdoor into the company's mobile operating system in order to provide access to data in criminal investigations. Apple insisted any such intrusion would make users' devices less secure and open to hacking. It appears to have won the battle in its own country, at least for now, but given that Apple's stance on Aadhaar could affect its access to a hugely lucrative overseas market, India could be a whole other story.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple today posted a new iPhone 7 TV ad to its YouTube channel, playing up to the devices' camera features, stereo speakers, and water resistance in a black and white montage of dramatic metaphors and visual set pieces.
The 30-second commercial is barely lit, save for the flash of an iPhone camera lens, and shrouds glimpses of black-colored handsets in flickering low light against shadowy backdrops.
Opening with a nighttime shot of a forest and a close-up of an owl's pupils dilating in the darkness at the sight of a deer, the ad continues in a similar edgy vein, with a series of slick mirrored cut scenes representing the iPhone 7's doubled-up technological capabilities.
The advantages of the dual lens camera in the iPhone 7 Plus are suggested in a series of paired low-light images, just as the benefits of stereo separation are alluded to in a volley of explosive sounds and rapid channel transitions.
The abstract theme then takes on a more liquid texture as the viewer witnesses water droplets cascading over the silhouette of a handset, a liminal vision punctuated by a further salvo of volatile graphics and incendiary audio effects.
The ad marks somewhat of a departure for Apple, which typically adopts a more melodic, upbeat tone in its TV commercials. Besides the new features, the company is clearly playing up to the inclusion of Jet Black and matte Black handset color options, which have proved a popular choice during pre-order. First shipments are expected to arrive in just a couple of days, with Friday, September 16 being the official iPhone 7 launch date.
Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller tweeted a link to an Outside article this morning titled "The Year's Best New Adventure Camera? The Apple iPhone 7 Plus", which features 17 images shot with the device in various rugged outdoor environments.
The new series of photos were taken by photo journalist and associate editor of Outside Magazine Jakob Schiller, during an outdoor adventure up rivers, down dusty bike trails, through woods, and into classic New Mexico burrito joints, leaving him particularly impressed by the versatility of the 5.5-inch handset's dual-lens setup.
Over four days of in-the-field testing, I’ve found it to be the best small, lightweight camera you can get for the money, ideal for shooting outdoor adventures when you don’t want to lug around pounds of heavy equipment.
I immediately noticed that the 7 does a much better job capturing details in the shadows and highlights than the 6s, and the color is much more accurate and vivid.
The 12-megapixel sensors that come in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus aren’t the best for capturing billboard-size advertisements. But Apple does a nice job marrying the sensor to its proprietary software, which helps maximize the camera’s capabilities. The resolution will be plenty high enough for printing off 11-inch x14-inch pictures.
The photographer notes that the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus can shoot in RAW using third-party apps like Lightroom. RAW files aren't compressed like JPEGs, so users get more detailed files that are easier to tone and crop. Check out the article for more pictures and commentary.
On Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook followed up some iPhone 7 pictures taken at a Titans-Vikings game shared over the weekend, with a group of photos offering a few examples of low-light photography.
iPhone 7 pre-order customers have been receiving shipment notifications regarding their incoming orders, which should be landing this Friday, September 16.
In iOS 10, Apple is making it even easier to use emojis with an all-new replacement and predictive system that replaces key words and phrases with relevant emoji characters. Although still short of a full-featured search functionality -- which many have asked for -- the new emoji replacement ability turns text messages into emoji-filled communications that are fun alternatives to basic blocks of text.
Using Emoji Replacement
To insert a few emojis into texts for yourself, follow these steps:
Open Messages.
Tap on the person you want to chat with.
Type a message as normal, but don't hit the send arrow yet.
Long-tap on the Globe icon to bring up your list of installed keyboards, and choose "Emoji."
Tap any orange-highlighted word directly in your text message to turn it into an emoji. If no highlighted words appear, Apple didn't find any potential emoji replacement opportunities in your message.
Tap the send arrow when you're finished.
Some emojis have multiple potential keywords, and for these you'll be presented with a pop-up box where you choose the emoji you want to use. The word "confused," for example, is associated with both the "confused" and "neutral" faces.
In iOS 10, Messages features creative tools to give users new ways to express themselves and communicate with friends and family. Additions include new bubble effects that change the way iMessage bubbles look, tapback reaction options for sending quick feedback on texts or photos, and screen effects that add fireworks, confetti, and more to the whole messages screen.
All of these tools are simple to use, but there are some hidden features and accessing them for the first time can be tricky, so make sure to check out our how-to for pointers.
Using Bubble Effects
There are currently four kinds of bubble effects that can be added to chat bubbles to impact the mood of a message: Slam, Loud, Gentle, and Invisible Ink. Each one changes the way a chat bubble looks when it's delivered to a friend.
Slam, for example, expands the size of the chat bubble and slams it down onto the screen, while Loud enlarges the chat bubble and makes it shake for a few seconds before it settles down.
Gentle, meanwhile, makes the text within the chat bubble tiny for a few seconds before it expands in size, and Invisible Ink, the neatest effect, fully obscures the look of the text in the chat bubble until a finger is swiped over it to unveil it.
Apple today released iOS 10, the next major operating system designed for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iOS 10 has been described as the biggest iOS update ever, with features ranging from an overhauled Lock screen interface to half a dozen new capabilities for the Messages app.
In addition to all the major changes, there are dozens of more minor but still significant tweaks that have been made to the operating system to make it feel entirely new, including individualized read receipts, the ability to hide stock apps, a new Wake Alarm in the Clock app, and more. Below, we've listed some of the most notable changes worth checking out.
Apple is expanding the iPhone's photo editing abilities in iOS 10 with a new feature called "Markup" that lets you doodle, magnify, and place text on any picture you have within the Photos app. Thanks to Markup's flexibility, it could be used for both casually sharing photos with friends and family, and also to enhance and add detail to an image in an enterprise situation.
Markup is also available directly through the Messages app in iOS 10, adding it to the roster of inventive and colorful updates coming to text messaging in the new iPhone operating system this fall. In both locations, Markup is a bit buried and somewhat difficult to find, so follow these steps to discover the new photo editing feature in iOS 10.
Finding Image Markup in Photos
Open the Photos app.
Find the image you want to edit and tap on it.
Tap the editing slider button.
While in editing mode, tap the button that looks like an ellipsis within a circle and choose "Markup" from the popup menu.
Finding Image Markup in Messages
Open Messages.
Tap the contact you want to send the photo to.
Tap the Camera icon to the left of the iMessage conversation box.
Find the image you want to edit by taking a new picture, scrolling right to browse all your images, or scrolling left to jump into a vertical version of your Photo Library.
Tap on the photo to place it in the conversation box, then tap on it once again within the box.
Tap "Markup" in the bottom left corner.
Using Image Markup
In Photos or Messages, the editing features of Markup are mostly similar, although the former app presents a darker layout, while the latter has a lighter one. First, the feature lets you doodle on the picture you've decided to edit, with eight different colors and three different stylus thickness options to the right of the color dots.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will appear on Good Morning America tomorrow, for what the show is calling a "wide-ranging and exclusive interview" with Robin Roberts at a school in Harlem in New York City.
In a minute long teaser clip shared on the Good Morning America Twitter account, Cook was asked about Apple's upcoming AirPods, where he alleviated fears that they're going to be easy to lose or will fall out of the ear.
Cook says AirPods will be kept safe in the dedicated battery case and because there are no wires, there's nothing to pull them out of the ear. "I have never personally had one fall out since I've been using it," he said. "They're absolutely magical." He went on to explain that he's used them on the treadmill and when dancing, all without incident.
Good Morning America didn't share details on other topics Cook will speak on, but given the recent announcement of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus and the launch of iOS 10, watchOS 3, and tvOS 10, we can expect to hear his views on those products.
Good Morning America's interview with Tim Cook will air on Wednesday, September 14, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
With iOS 10 now available to the public, there are hundreds of new Messages apps available in the dedicated Messages App Store. For the first time, we're getting a look at just what apps in Messages are going to be capable of, and it's more than a just a gimmick.
There are apps for all doing all kinds of things, from expressing yourself with GIFs and stickers, to sending song lyrics, sharing movie information, maps locations, weather reports, and more, plus there are even more in-depth tools for figuring out what restaurant to eat at, sending money to friends, and other conveniences that are sure to save you a lot of time.
In the list below, we've gathered up a handful of some of the most useful apps in the Messages App Store, so if you're looking to see what Messages apps can do, this is a good starting point.
Installing a Messages App
To install an app from the Messages App Store, tap on the "App Store" icon when in a conversation. From there, tap on the icon of four dots to open the app drawer, then choose the "+" button to access the store itself. The Messages App Store is similar to the iOS App Store, so choose an app and then tap on the price or "Get" to download it.
Messages apps are usually installed automatically, but can be accessed in the App Store by tapping on "Manage" and toggling apps on and off.
Notable Apps and Games
- GIF Keyboard (Free) - GIF Keyboard from Tenor is available as a Messages app, making it easier to insert GIFs directly into chat conversations. It features a create-a-GIF- option, trending GIFs, GIF categories for access to quick reaction GIFs, and a search tool.
Amid today's glut of app updates for iOS 10, Niantic Labs updated popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go, adding some promised new features that should make the Pokémon-catching experience better.
New in Pokémon Go is a Buddy feature that lets users choose a favorite Pokémon as a buddy. The Pokémon acting as a buddy will earn candy after a certain distance is traveled, making it much easier to get candies for upgrading rare Pokémon.
Today's update also fixes a few minor bugs and adds support for the Pokémon Go Plus accessory. Pokémon Go Plus is a wrist-worn device that's designed to let users discover Pokémon without the need to have the smartphone app open. It will be available starting next week.
In the future, Pokémon Go will be coming to the Apple Watch, as was announced at Apple's September 7 event. The Apple Watch app, like the Pokémon Go Plus accessory, will alert users when wild Pokémon appear, it will show information about hatching eggs, and send alerts when a Pokéstop is nearby. Pokéstops can even be accessed directly on the wrist without the need to open the Pokémon Go iPhone app.
iOS 10 officially launched today, bringing a revamped Messages App with a full Messages App Store and support for all new sticker packs, which are set to replace emojis as the must-have way to express yourself visually while chatting.
There are already several dozen sticker packs available in the Messages App Store and that number will grow to hundreds in a short period of time, so we've rounded up some of the best iOS 10 sticker packs that are worth checking out. All app links are links directly to the App Store.
Sticker Pals (Free) - Created by Impending, the team behind the adorable Hatch pet app, Sticker Pals features hundreds of animated stickers drawn by artist David Lanham. Focused around several characters, Sticker Pals is the most comprehensive sticker pack I've tested over the last several weeks, with an amazing art style and stickers to represent every emotion and action.
Since stickers can be layered, there's also a wide selection of wigs, glasses, and beards, along with emotive additions like hearts and explosions plus food, every day items, and more. There's even a built-in gifting feature for unlocking new stickers, along with extra packs available as in-app purchases. Impending has thought of everything, and as a free download, Sticker Pals is worth picking up.
IconFactory (Free to $0.99) - IconFactory has created multiple sticker packs for iOS 10, ranging from dinosaurs and marshmallows to pixellated food, magic eight balls, poop, flowers, and chimpanzees. Some of the stickers in IconFactory's sticker packs are animated, while others are static. All of them have different art styles, but high-quality artwork is a common denominator.
In iOS 10, the simple Messages app you're familiar with has transformed from a bare bones texting platform into a fun, interactive communication service that takes advantage of games, apps, drawings, stickers, message effects, and more.
Following in the footsteps of apps like Facebook and Line, Apple is delving into stickers in a big way, giving iOS users new ways of expressing themselves. Like the real thing, Stickers in iOS can be stuck onto messages or images, or sent by themselves, and they can be resized, rotated, and stuck to other stickers for fun layering effects.
Apple recently removed the option to purchase Apple Store or iTunes gift cards by email from its U.S. website, eliminating the ability to buy e-gift cards.
The option to purchase physical Apple Store or iTunes gift cards by mail remains on Apple's website, while both physical and e-gift cards remain available from third-party resellers such as Walmart and Staples.
Apple previously allowed customers to purchase digital gift cards and send them by email. The purchaser selected a card design and value, and composed a birthday wish or similar message for the recipient.
The change appears limited to the U.S. for now, as Apple continues to sell Apple Store and iTunes gift cards by email in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Update (September 16): Apple has restored the page for purchasing gift cards by email in the United States.
With a brand-new iOS operating system now available, many users are excited to delve into iOS 10's biggest and boldest changes, like an overhauled Messages app and a more personal space in Photos to relive past vacations and family get-togethers. However, before you even get to all of iOS 10's new features, you'll have to get used to its new lock screen mechanisms, which completely change the way the iPhone is unlocked moving forward.
iOS 10 brings about the first major overhaul to the lock screen since the iPhone launched in 2007, ditching the popular "Slide to Unlock" instruction on the bottom of the screen for a collection of new prompts that make it easier than ever take advantage of the lock screen. Prior to iOS 10, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users in particular experienced some frustrations with the traditional method of unlocking the phone, as the faster Touch ID system would unlock "too quickly," causing users to miss notifications that might have been on the lock screen.
While slightly complex until you get the hang of it, iOS 10 streamlines this process so that you can still have your thumb placed on Touch ID when the iPhone wakes up via a new Raise to Wake feature on the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE, without immediately jumping past the lock screen. For more details on how to navigate the lock screen, interact with notifications, and unlock your iPhone, follow each set of instructions below.
In a statement given to BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski, Apple says the issue that was causing iOS 10 updates installed over-the-air to fail on some iPads and iPhones has been resolved, making it safe to resume iOS 10 downloads.
"We experienced a brief issue with the software update process, affecting a small number of users during the first hour of availability. The problem was quickly resolved and we apologize to those customers. Anyone who was affected should connect to iTunes to complete the update or contact AppleCare for help.
Shortly after iOS 10 was released, a number of people who attempted to install iOS 10 using an over-the-air download saw their installation fail, effectively bricking devices until plugged into iTunes for an update or restore. For people who are not near a computer or who do not own one, this is a significant problem.
Users who were already affected by the problem will need to continue on with the restore process using a computer, but new users who attempt to install the update should not run into the problem.
Apple recommends creating a backup before installing any new iOS update, and those worried about having the install fail can instead download the update through iTunes, an installation method that has not been affected.
Apple today updated its iWork line of apps, including Pages, Keynote, and Numbers, for iOS 10. The new versions of the apps include a real-time collaboration feature, which is available as a beta.
With real-time collaboration, first announced on September 7, multiple users can edit an iWork document at one time using a Mac, an iOS device, or iCloud.com. Real-time collaboration allows all users to see what each person is doing inside the document, with multiple cursors and a list of document editors.
Also included in today's update is a new formatting pane designed for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, support for wide color gamut (a feature coming in the iPhone 7), improved downloading, and enhanced keyboard navigation and keyboard shortcuts.
What's New in Version 3.0 - Real-time collaboration (feature in beta) - Edit a document with others at the same time in Pages on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iCloud.com - Share your document publicly or with specific people - See who else is in a document - See participants' cursors as they're editing
- A new format pane takes advantage of the display on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro - Improved downloading - Pages now downloads documents from iCloud only when you're ready to work on them - Wide color gamut image support - Enhanced keyboard navigation and additional keyboard shortcuts
In Keynote, there's an option to present a slideshow that users can follow along with from their Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iCloud.com, and there's a feature for highlighting with the Apple Pencil while presenting on the iPad Pro. Pages and Keynote also both feature support for opening and editing Pages and Keynote '05 documents.
Apple's line of iWork apps are free to users who have recently purchased a new Mac or iOS device. Otherwise, each iWork app for Mac is available for $19.99 while each iWork app for iOS is available for $9.99.
The new iOS 10 update, released today, appears to be causing problems for some iPad and iPhone owners who are installing it over-the-air. On the MacRumors forums, we're seeing multiple reports from users who have attempted to install iOS 10 and have had their devices put into recovery mode, requiring a restore.
It does not seem to be limited to a single device, but most reports from iPad owners are coming from those who have the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which has had trouble with new software releases in the past. Multiple iPhone models also appear to be affected, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, and iPhone SE. From MacRumors forum member bit_bucket:
What the actual heck. iPhone just bricked itself as well. That makes 2 devices screwed up by the OTA update and I have to try and restore to the older version now. I do not jailbreak and I did not preinstall the update. Just installed for the first time now. Come on apple. Appears since I hit update right after it hit the servers, I somehow got a corrupt install.
Anyone else having these issues?
Users who have their iOS 10 devices bricked by the update may need to do an iTunes restore if the update fails, which will erase all data. Some users have had their iPhones updated successfully through iTunes after the over-the-air update has failed and haven't needed to restore, but it has not been successful for other users. Here's the message users are receiving:
There is a problem with the iPhone "iPhone" that requires it to be updated or restored.
The problem may be fixed by updating your iPhone, which preserves your settings and content. However, if updating doesn't work, it may be necessary to click Restore, which erases all settings and content. If you backed up this iPhone to this computer or iCloud, you'll be prompted to restore the backup onto the iPhone.
In light of the installation issues some users are facing, those who are concerned about their devices being sent into recovery mode and bricked should hold off on downloading the iOS 10 update over the air for the time being until more information can be uncovered.
It appears iOS 10 installs through iTunes are not affected, so that remains a viable method for obtaining the iOS 10 update today. Ahead of installing iOS 10, either over the air or through iTunes, a backup should be made.
Update: Apple has given a statement on the issue that caused the iOS 10 update to fail over the air, and says it has now been fixed.
"We experienced a brief issue with the software update process, affecting a small number of users during the first hour of availability. The problem was quickly resolved and we apologize to those customers. Anyone who was affected should connect to iTunes to complete the update or contact AppleCare for help.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
In a statement given to 
